Blood, Sweat and Tears
by JinxPrincess13
Summary: As his attempts to reach out to his brother are unsuccessful, Lightning believes Slade has done something unforgivable to the elder twin. Meanwhile, the Titans are missing, and when two mysterious siblings claim to have a direct link to Slade and so a possible trail to the Titans, this haphazard team have to choose wisely who to trust. A sequel to 'Brothers'.
1. Chapter 1

**((This is a sequel to my fanfic 'Brothers'. If you haven't read that (and it's a little OOC at first), this one will not make as much sense))**

Lightning sat across from his brother in a white room with a white table and white chairs. Neither brother appreciated this colour scheme. It hurt their eyes a little. Neither was in their uniforms. Thunder was in a hospital gown and Lightning wore a green shirt and black jeans, his arm in a heavy-looking sling. He had been told he might have nerve damage and torn muscle tissues and warned to keep it still and undisturbed. The arm was inside the shirt, nestled against his sallow skin.

"Brother, you know we only wish to help you. You know!"

"I do not wish for your help, Tavis." Came the snarled reply.

To his credit, the yellow elemental didn't even flinch. "You could have killed us all, Gan. Does that not mean anything to you? Does it not mean anything that you hurt your own brother?"

Thunder crossed his arms and looked away. "All I care about is that Kid Flash cut my leg off, and I am certainly not happy with that."

"You said before-"

"Shut up!"

This time he flinched. He looked at his twin with wide, terrified eyes. "...Brother..."

"Be gone. You insist on trying to 'assist' me. There are people who need your assistance more than I."

"What has the old one done to you...?"

Thunder slammed his hands down flat on the table. "Perhaps I simply made a choice, Tavis! Perhaps Slade did nothing! Perhaps I decided I wanted more recognition, more appreciation and companionship more worth my time! I do not care about Kid Flash, or Jinx, or Jericho, and I certainly do not care about you any more! You are nothing but a fool. I tried my best to protect you all and you kept coming! Kept picking fights! If you lot are truly that stupid, I shan't hold myself responsible for your problems, injuries or upsets!"

Lightning bowed his head, trying to control his temper. Instead, tears of both sorrow and frustration broke free of his eyes. "What changed?"

The blue elemental looked away, offering no reply.

"At least pretend you are still on side..."

"Why? To give you false hope? You are my brother, I cannot make things worse by making you think everything will just go back to normal. It does not work that way, Tavis." Lightning stood as his brother spoke. "It does not work that way, no matter how much you want it to."

Lightning left the room in low spirits, not willing to talk to any of the team when he re-joined them. Kid Flash enquired as to how things were going with Thunder, but Lightning just turned away, in a bit of a mood.

"Badly, then?"

No reply. The speedster turned to Jinx instead. "Any link on the Titans yet?"

"Not even the slightest." She sighed, stepping away from all the tech before her. She wasn't the best at that sort of thing, but looking at Lightning, she realised she clearly wasn't the worst either.

That was when the phone went off. Just a normal phone, belonging specifically to them. No-one was supposed to have that number. Maybe it was given to that girl Lightning had been out with when Thunder had betrayed them. Kid Flash answered, sounding wary. Naturally, their trust was a little low.

"Hello?"

"Hello."

"Who is this? How did you get this number?"

"Who I am isn't important." The voice was male. "Secondly, I have my ways. Thirdly, I have some information you might find...intriguing."

The speedster frowned. "What kind of information?"

There was a hesitation, and a very distant chatter, as though the mystery man was talking to someone beside him. "I think I know some things that mean you can find your little Titan bosses."


	2. Chapter 2

_"Brother?"_

_Thunder gave no reply and looked away._

_"Brother, stop trying to ignore me. You know it will not work."_

_"Just like this. You are wasting your efforts, Tavis."_

_Lightning sighed, looking to the floor. "They say I might never use this arm again, Gan. I am left handed! How am I supposed to do anything?"_

_"Try using your right." He replied airily, but at least he looked guilty. He was unwilling to meet his brother's eyes._

_"Why did you betray us?"_

_"I got an offer."_

_Lightning leaned forward slightly, interested. "What did this mad man offer you?"_

_"What he offered me is none of your business, brother. This is childish. You cannot fix anything that has happened."_

_"I can try."_

_Thunder shook his head. "You are so stubborn. This is a fruitless effort. Spend your energy elsewhere."_

_"You keep saying that, but I do not believe all is lost."_

_"Perhaps you should start."_

_Lightning gave a little growl of anger. "I shan't. I do not care what you have done. You are my brother and I love you."_

_"Touching."_

_He lost his temper and slapped his big brother. "Stop it!" He shrieked. "Why are you doing this? Do you have to be so horrible?" Slowly, he sat back and quietened down. "I want to help and I want my brother back."_

_Thunder sighed, looking away and spreading his arms. "I am here, as I am." There was a hesitation before he looked back to Lightning. "I tried to protect you, to keep you separate from this whole thing, for a reason. Because I truly have not changed that much."_

_"You still broke my arm and made me almost fall to my death, _twice_!"_

_"Those were my orders. I must follow my orders, no matter how...macabre."_

_"You could have objected! Objected to hurting your friends, your family..."_

_He shook his head quickly. "Risks of such behaviour were too high."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"If you couldn't stay out you would be hurt, simple as." He insisted, crossing his arms. "If I did not fight, I could be punished severely. I knew what I was getting into when I got into it, and I have unlocked my full potential. You saw I have new powers. I have more yet than you have seen."_

"So these guys just call out of the blue with the idea that they can bribe us?" Jinx asked sceptically. They had called in some other Titans to help, getting Titans East, Kole and Gnaark and Herald involved. They had tracked the mystery caller to a warehouse. The same warehouse they had fought Thunder at.

Lightning refused to come with them, so it was that team plus Herald, Kole and Gnaark. The place seemed empty at first, but "Nice little squad ya got there." alerted them to the presence of someone else. Girl's voice. They turned, and found themselves facing a girl with long, white hair and a mask reminiscent of Slade's.

"What is this?" Jinx yelled. The mystery girl held up her hands and chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm not on his side. Think of me as...an anti-hero."

A much older man stepped out beside her and put an arm protectively round her shoulder, which she shrugged off. He was wearing all grey and black, a small tuft of blonde hair visible where it was poking out from beneath his mask. His smile seemed directed at one Titan in particular.

Jinx scowled. "Who are you?"

"Not important." The man insisted. "I think you know what's important, and that's finding your friends."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Kole asked.

"You don't." The girl stated. "Thing is, we have information you need, and I think you've something for us."

"And what would that be?" Asked Flash.

The two contacts looked at one another for a moment before the man spoke up. "My sister and I think you stand a chance against this guy, and we gotta say, we've a thing against him too."

"Even though your sister dresses like him?"

The girl shrugged. "Unfortunately, it suits."

She gestured for them to follow her, and her brother did so immediately, but the Titans all hesitated, for varying lengths of time. Jinx and Jericho made the first moves.


End file.
